Friday, May 14, 2010

Most often in the daytime our cats fall asleep in the sun, with their faces turned towards the warmth. Spike, in keeping with his propensity for not following the crowd, has his back turned towards the outside. He looks so content and comfortable on his cat bed. Originally we had found a nice window bench that matched the colors of the dining room and put it in front of the window to enable the cats to have a stylish sitting place. However, in the cat world, stylish does not equal comfortable so we gave in and put the black and brown plaid cat bed there. Does black and brown plaid actually match with any decor?

Friday, May 7, 2010

The world according to Spike: "I am alpha cat and the rest of you are my minions, who will not disturb me when I am resting." After the first early days of hiding under the headboard, Spike's natural tendencies have surfaced and he is very clear on his position in the family. He simply glances at Girly on his way to the latest sitting spot, with a grand swish of his tail as he passes by. Girly is learning that in our house "cats rule"....but more so because they have been with us for several years and have established habits and safe havens. She has been very good with two out of three cats but is still finding her way with Sebastian. We think that perhaps Sebastian had a run in with a dog (or two) when he was out on the streets so he is predisposed to distrust any dog, no matter how friendly it may be. And of course, when he growls and hisses, then Girly growls back. Early days though...with time this should at least settle into a wary truce, with no harm done on either side.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

We have two cat tents in safe locations (one under a chair and one under a coffee table), purchased and installed with the expectation that these are quiet contemplative areas for the cats to head to whenever they choose. However, one would think we are charging rent for these tents since we rarely see a cat inside. With the introduction of the new dog into the family, our cats have chosen a variety of places to spend their time, most of which are well away from the dog. In fact, Sebastian is currently sitting on top of the fridge, knowing full well that Girly cannot get anywhere near him! Spike decided that it was time to get out of the hustle and bustle going on and find a comfortable spot from which to observe the proceedings. He is still our alpha cat in all ways and it is just a matter of time before Girly realizes that the alpha cat trumps any dog that joins the household.